How is Cleopatra's 'infinite variety' reflected in the language that she uses? In your answer you should include detailed reference to at least 2 passages from the play.

the way she talks about love in this manner shows her as independent and strong. In this scene she also teases and manipulates Antony with her talk of Fulvia, his wife, and Caesar’s hold over him, this is encouraging him to write them off and declare his loyalty to her, as he seems to be doing with his statement “Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch of the rang’d Empire fall: here is my space”. Although this scene shows Antony and Cleopatra’s love, it also shows Cleopatra’s strong will and manipulation skills, as can be seen on many occasions throughout the play. Another side to Cleopatra is seen in Act III, Scene 11, where she has abandoned Antony at sea, and is now apologizing to him. In this scene, I feel her true feelings start to show through, especially through her language used; “Oh lord, my lord, forgive my fearful sails” here she is calling Antony lord, so talking of him highly, yet putting herself down by insinuating her and her navy are fearful, so basically, weak. Her reference to Antony as ‘My lord’ the second time round is significant as it shows her fear of losing him because of her actions. Overall, Cleopatra does not say much in this scene, showing her shame and sorrow at the situation she is in. When she does speak she is very apologetic and says very little, especially in comparison to Antony’s long speeches. Her final words in this scene say it all; “Pardon, pardon.” In these two scenes Cleopatra’s variety of ‘personalities’ are shown through these two polar facades, in one she speaks a lot, is dominant, demanding and manipulative, in the other, she says very little, is apologetic almost to the stage of begging, and speaks to Antony with respect. This seeming role reversal between Antony and Cleopatra is seen a number of times throughout the play, in accordance with the events occurring in the plot. Another ‘variety’ of Cleopatra is shown in Act III, Scene13, where she is deliberately masking her true thoughts and feelings in order to fool Caesar’s ‘man’ Thidias. She is playing her cards very close to her chest by flattering Caesar and his men, asking questions about him rather than talking about herself and talking of the past rather than the present; “Say to great Caesar…I kiss his conquering hand: tell him I am prompt to lay my crown at his feet” this shows her sweet-talking Caesar’s messenger and also shows her signaling to him that she will go along with Caesar’s words. Cleopatra asks for the messenger’s name, this is a change from her usual abrupt way with messengers, showing her flattery to make him think that she cares what him name is and also stalls the conversation to give her time to think. She talks of the past by bringing up Caesar’s father, whom she was with before Antony. She talks of him fondly, suggesting she still cares for Caesar’s father, and in turn, Caesar and Rome also. In two of these three scenes Cleopatra is able to mask her feelings completely, with her use of language being sophisticated enough to manipulate two powerful men. In all three scenes she is seen in a different light, almost like it were three different characters. Shakespeare keeps the audience intrigued by these changes, and shows Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship advancing, and also different character’s roles and personalities, through Cleopatra and the other characters’ language. Cleopatra’s language is very clever, showing a surface meaning that could be completely different when looked at on a deeper level, this close textual analysis allows me to see what her true feelings were, in comparison to these masked emotions that are portrayed to the other characters. This could be Shakespeare’s way of pre-empting the tragic end and other major events in the play.